Forced Journey
by Greenshells
Summary: Bella heads to the cliffs without waiting for Jacob and must bear the consequences of that decision...
1. Chapter 1

_All Twilight characters belong to Stephanie Meyer._

 _Forced Journey  
_

"Well, well, well… what have we here? Little Bella finally stepped out without her furry protectors?" Victoria cackled gleefully as she stared at Bella standing in the tree line along the La Push cliffs. Bella began to realize that the rising waves due to the incoming storm were not the only reason she could be labeled a fool to not wait on Jacob to take her cliff diving. Since HE had left her, she had become increasingly more desperate in her attempts to hear HIS voice. Jacob had promised to take her for the cliff diving experience that was bound to induce Edward hallucinations after his patrol duties today. However, Bella's patience wore thin and she made her way to the cliffs on her own, only to find Victoria awaiting her. The one vampire who was actively trying to kill her. "Oh I'm going to enjoy this, you little bitch!" And with that Victoria lunged across the distance for Bella.


	2. Chapter 2

Just a Bella expected to feel the force of Victoria's body slamming into the front of her own, she instead felt something hit her from her left side and then she was airborne. The right side of her body impacted with a tree behind her and she tumbled to the ground. When she looked up it was to see a black wolf pacing in front of her as a russet color one fought with Victoria. Through the animalistic growls, she suddenly heard a yelp, as if it came from an animal in pain. She had barely managed to catch her breath when Sam lunged from his protective stance in front of Bella into the fight between Victoria and Jacob. Bella cried out in denial as Jacob staggered to the ground and Sam faltered. The rest of the pack arrived and joined the fray as Bella's world faded to black.

"Bella, wake up, Bella please!" As Bella began to regain consciousness, she recognized that it was Seth pleading with her to open her eyes. "Wha…what happened?" Looking into Seth's sorrow filled eyes, Bella began to regret asking the question. "I'm sorry Bella, but Victoria attacked you. Sam and Jacob were both bitten…the venom is killing them …we have no way to help them".

"Dying? No, they can't be, NO!" Bella's mind rejected Seth's assessment as soon as he gave it. Forcing her mind to think through the haze it was currently shrouded with, she knew there had to be a way to save them. Something she remembered Carlisle suggesting… _Think Bella, think! Venom, bite…._ In her mind Bella drifted back to the ballet studio where she had been bitten by James. What was it Carlisle had told Edward? "Suck the venom out! We have to suck the venom out!"

Bella forced herself to her knees and crawled to where Jacob lay the closest to her in his human form. He was covered in sweat and breathing shallow, panting breaths. He was paler than even a vampire. Grabbing the sharpest rock she could find, Bella dragged it across the bite mark on Jacob's shoulder, making an X shaped cut across the wound. Almost instantly, blood began to rush from the wound, and without breathing in (Bella couldn't afford to pass out now) she leaned down and sucked a mouth full of blood and then spat it onto the ground. She repeated this until Jacob's breathing began to steady and his pulse returned to normal. Turning to Seth she instructed "let this bleed so more to be sure all the venom is out then bandage it up." After receiving a nod from the young wolf she dragged her sore body over to Sam and treated the bite in his thigh the same way. Perhaps because he had been bitten second and the wound was farther from his heart, Sam's condition didn't seem quite as dire as Jacob's.

Even still, both wolves lay unconscious as Bella began to wrap Sam's wound with bandages torn from her shirt. Finishing the knot and sitting back on her heels, Bella was completely unprepared when she felt someone grab her by her hair, haul her to her feet, and spin her body around to face them.

"This is all your fault! They are laying there dying because that bitch is after you! All because you had to cozy up to a bunch of leeches!" Paul was shouting so forcefully at Bella that she felt his spit hit her in the face.

"Paul, man, calm down. Let Bella go before you end up hurting her more…" Seth edged his way between the two and tried to ease Bella from Paul's grasp only to get shoved back.

"SHE needs to leave!" With that decree Paul tossed Bella away from him, where she landed at the foot of a tree. She cried out in pain as her already damaged hand struck the ground.

"What the hell PAUL?! Sam and Jake almost died to protect her, may yet die, and _you're_ hurting her?! Not to mention, she's the only one of us who thought the suck the venom out!" This time is was Quill who stepped up in outrage over Paul's current temper tantrum.

"Oh no, I'm not going to hurt her. With Sam and Jake both out of it, I'm Alpha. I'm running her out."

At this statement, Bella snapped her head up from where she still lay on the ground. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. You are why that red head keeps coming here. You're going to be a good girl, get in your truck and leave."

Bella paled further, if that was even possible, "Paul, you know I never wanted any of you hurt protecting me –"

"Good, then you will be gone by nightfall."

"And just how do you expect her to defend herself?" Leah stepped up at this point, questioning Paul's highly surprising demands.

"If she is smart, she will run and not stop. If not, well, I guess the red-head gets a meal." Paul actually smirked with this statement.

"You can't do this Paul, we are Protector's to humans. Bella is a human and under our protection!" Seth valiantly continued his defense of her.

"No, Seth, we are the Quileute's Protectors. And Bella is NOT Quileute. She's a leech-lover. She made her bed and now she gets to lie in it."

Quil and Embry both stepped up together "Paul…"

"ENOUGH! BELLA LEAVES, TODAY. I FORBIDE ANY OF YOU FROM STOPPING HER" With Sam and Jake out of commission, the Alpha's authority fell to Paul and he made full use of it. Walking over to Bella, he pulled her roughly up, slung her over his shoulder and ordered the pack to take Sam and Jake to Sue's for medical care. Then he was speeding through the forest.

Arriving in Charlie's back yard, he dumped Bella in a heap at his feet. "You have 20 minutes to get whatever you want from your house, and then you had better be getting in your truck and driving out of town."

"Paul, you can't do this, you know Victoria…"

"Bella, what you don't seem to understand is that I couldn't give a rat's ass if Victoria kills you. You're a leech-lover. In my book that makes you the same as them. Clock's ticking…I suggest you get up and start packing."

"But Charlie…"

"Charlie will be just fine if you leave like a good girl. He will remain under the pack's protection. However, if you choose to try to stay, Charlie will find himself without us watching his back. And I'll hand you over to the red head myself."

Knowing it was useless to try changing Paul's mind, Bella forced herself up and into the house. Thinking of what would serve her best she packed as quickly as she could, making sure she grabbed her stash of cash from her room, as well as the grocery money in the kitchen. She knew Charlie would give her that and more if he knew what she faced. Then she headed outside, climbed into the cab of her truck and pausing only for one last glance at Paul's stubborn face, she headed out of Forks.


	3. Chapter 3

Bella took the 101 Southbound out of Forks. She figured if Victoria got wind of her plight, Seattle would be the first place the sadistic, revenge driven vampire would look. Driving through the darkened forest road, she realized that the only other time she would describe the Olympic peninsula as creepy was after Laurent had tried to kill her. Then too, Victoria had been after her and she believed herself alone. Now, she knew the wolves could protect her but Paul would never allow it. Suddenly, she yearned for sunny Jacksonville, except, she would never endanger her mother or Phil by leading a monster to them.

As her truck rounded the curve to parallel Ruby Beach, a wolf jumped out in front of her truck. Recognizing Seth, she immediately hit the brakes. Her rotors protested the abuse, but the truck stopped before it could wrap around Seth. Now leery of all her friends, she sat in the truck as Seth dropped the bag he carried in his mouth and shifted to his human form. Making use of the truck as a privacy shield, he quickly pulled some shorts on. He then grabbed the bag up and jogged to her passenger door.

"Awe, come on Bella… Don't look at me like that – you know I wouldn't hurt you!"

Raising an eyebrow as she painfully leaned over and unlocked the door, Bella quietly refuted his statement, "Seth, I know you would never choose to hurt me, but we both know you can't fight an Alpha command."

Shrugging, Seth had to agree with her. "Yeah, I know. That's why Sue has the rest of the pack keeping Paul distracted. She was horrified to hear what Paul did to you and sent me with this bag of supplies for you."

"What did she send?"

"When she heard the details of the attack, she knew you were likely injured, so there are first aid supplies, as well as what snacks we could grab quickly. She also sent a change of clothes – don't tell Leah – and a message for you."

"Message?" Bella couldn't think of what Sue would want to tell her. Surely the nurse was focused on the two injured pack members.

Seth knew what the answer would be but he asked anyway, "First, just how hurt are you Bells?"

"A little sore, but I'm fine. I'm more concerned with Jacob and Sam," knowing he couldn't do much to help her, even with the supplies his mother had sent, Bella attempted to deflect her young friend's concerns.

"You and I both know that's a load of crock Bella, but in the interest of time I'll let it go. Susan can't be sure, but she thinks you got the poison out of both their systems in time. She's also amazed the venom didn't affect you – she's convinced if any of us had tried to suck the venom out, we would have been poisoned as well."

Shrugging, Bella brushed the praise off, "I didn't swallow any. What message did Sue send?"

Taking the time to look Bella in the eye, Seth pulled a file from the bag before responding, "Mom said to hang in there. Ditch your truck fast – it's too recognizable. She also warned that your father will be looking for you –and Victoria won't hesitate to use him if he succeeds, so avoid using your name if you can. Especially near any hospitals" with that Seth handed the folder to Bella.

"Why would I be near any hospitals?"

"Ever since mom took over as an elder, she has secretly been using her medical connections to try and find the Cullens. She disagreed with the other elders and felt the Cullen's would help if they knew about Victoria. She said to tell you all her research is in that file, she managed to narrow it down to two possible hospitals Dr. Fang might be working for. Her message is to find the Cullens – they are your only hope until Sam or Jacob recover."

Bella felt tears forming in her eyes. "Seth…tell your mother thank you for everything. But I mean nothing to the Cullen's. They wouldn't thank me for bringing danger to their door."

"You have to try Bella. Mom is no fan of theirs, but she saw the Doc's efforts. She is convinced that he at least will protect you. Bella, _please_ _do whatever you have to do,_ stay alive! Where ever you are, trust me, if either Sam or Jacob survives this, they will come for you."

"Thanks Seth." Giving her friend a hug, Bella said goodbye. She knew time was of the essence, she needed to disappear before Victoria realized she was alone. Waving to Seth, she shoved the folder in the bag and speed her truck down the road.

As she drove, she thought over everything Seth had said. Sue was right, as much as Bella loved her truck, it was too unique. She would have to sell it. Then she would find a bus station. Bella contemplated her injuries. Seth was right – she had been lying through her teeth. She was certain she must be bruised head to toe, both from Jacob's intercept and the tree she had hit. As swollen as her hand was, it was likely broken. And breathing was certainly no fun at the moment. Something she was convinced Seth had noticed – that or he had thought he was hugging an eggshell…

She figured placing distance between her and Forks was her first priority. Upon reaching Olympia, she would take advantage of Sue's medical supplies and do what she could with her wounds. Then she would sell her truck. But where should she go? She considered Sue's push for her to find the Cullen's. Bella believed what she had told Seth – she had been nothing but entertainment to the Cullen's, why would they care that Victoria was after her? But Sue was right, they were the only ones who could offer her protection at this point. And Sue had been searching for them long before today. Clearly, she at least believed they would help. Pulling the folder out, Bella looked at the two hospitals Sue had listed. They were on opposite ends of the country, neither one near Forks. Montrose, Colorado she had never even heard of. The other choice was Ithaca, New York.

She knew choosing the wrong location would be costly – even once she sold the truck her funds would be limited. She considered what she knew of the Cullens and the two states. They would want nearby wildlife, cloud cover during the day and a smaller community that would be so grateful for such a skilled doctor that his frequent absences would go unquestioned. Suddenly, it was clear to her where they must be.

Having reached Olympia, she found a restroom to clean up in. Leah's outfit went a long way to making her more presentable. She tended her cuts, bandaged her hand as well as she could and pulled her hair forward to hide the bruise on her forehead.

It tore at her heart to sell the truck that had been a symbol of her father's love, but she did it anyways and climbed on a bus headed out of town. Praying she had chosen correctly, and that she would find the Cullens before Victoria found her, Bella finally succumbed to the rhythm of the tires as the bus rolled down the highway, failing into a fitful sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

As the bus rolled into the Montrose depot, Bella came fully awake. She had managed to get some sleep during the two day bus ride. Her sore ribs had managed to wake her before her nightmares ended in her screaming – Bella couldn't help laughing at the irony. She was so far down the creek without her paddle, that here she was grateful her injuries had prevented her from drawing attention to herself.

Shaking her head to clear the cobwebs, Bella gathered her one backpack, gritted her teeth against the pain she knew would come, and made her way off the bus. Once on solid pavement, Bella took a look around. She was convinced the Cullen's had to be here. It was almost the perfect setting for their family to blend in. But how was she to go about finding them? And would they run off again the moment they detected her? She wanted to believe they would at least hear her out, but given the way things had ended in Forks, she knew better than to believe that.

Deciding she needed a plan in place, Bella started down the sidewalk towards the center of town. Stopping at a deli, she grabbed a simple sandwich and a bottle of water. Being careful of her limited funds, she finished the first half and wrapped the other half up, stashing it in her backpack for dinner. As Bella ate, she had also been observing her surroundings. Noticing an old payphone on the opposite side of the street, she began to hatch her plan. As Charlie Swan's runaway daughter, she couldn't just show up at the hospital looking for Carlisle – surely her picture was all over the news by now. Not to mention her disheveled injured state. The nurses would take one look at her and slap an IV in her arm. Victoria would then follow Charlie straight to Bella. Calling the hospital looking for Carlisle might spook the Cullen's into running. Especially if Alice happened to search the future for the mysterious caller's identity. But in a town this small the hospital's parking lot was likely outdoors. She could get close enough to spot Carlisle's Mercedes without her scent giving her away. That was one car she would recognize anywhere. Taking one last sip of her water, she put the cap back on the bottle, tucked it into her bag and crossed the street to find the phone book.

* * *

Two days later, Bella was tired, in serious pain and feeling defeated. Between her normal clumsiness and her twisted ankle, she had taken more than one tumble. The last time she managed to catch her already injured ribs on a park bench. Now each deep breathe she took brought severe pain with it. She had spent the last two days scouring parking lots for any sign of the Cullen's vehicles. When the hospital lots had turned up empty of the Mercedes, she had checked every urgent care and doctor's office she could find. The high school parking lot had been her last hope.

With no sign of the Cullen's anywhere in Montrose, Bella finally had to face the fact that she had chosen the wrong city. She knew she had just enough funds to purchase a bus ticket to Ithaca, NY, but not much left after that. She briefly considered finding a job here in Montrose to supplement her wallet, but she was already drawing curious gazes here. With such a small town it wouldn't take long before someone recognized her as the missing girl from Forks. Perhaps her chances of getting a job without giving her name would be better in the larger busier town. Instead of spending another cold night under a pine tree maybe she would find room in a shelter, or better yet, maybe even with the Cullen's themselves. Mentally slapping herself for that last thought, Bella reminded herself that the Cullen's saw fit to leave her defense-less against Laurent and Victoria. Surely if Alice truly cared, she would have seen Bella's desperate plight and intercepted her here in Montrose. No, Susan was wrong; if Bella managed to find the Cullen's in Ithaca she would be grateful if they even bothered to listen to her before they turned her away. She was not going to get her hopes up that they would actually help her. Heck, she should probably worry that Rosalie would kill her for bringing the danger of Victoria to their new home.

Already too late in the day to catch a bus, Bella headed for the park to settle under the same tree as last night. In the morning, she would head back to the bus depot and Ithaca. As she bedded down for the night, with only her backpack for a pillow and her jacket for a blanket, she prayed Susan information would lead her to the right city this time. Sleep was hard to find. The hard ground was not easy on her bruised body and it seemed her ankle, hand and head each took their turns throbbing. Bella attempted to distract herself by imagining that she was out on a camping trip with her father. With a prayer for Jacob and Sam's recovery, she finally managed to drift off in the early morning hours.


	5. Chapter 5

After a two day bus journey, Bella had finally arrived in Ithaca, NY. Even as careful as she had been with her funds, she was officially penniless. After stepping off the bus, she had forced her abused body to start down the street, hoping some of the aches would ease with movement. She had thought through her situation during the long drive, debating if she was doing the right thing by following Susan's advice. She had considered trying to find work here for cash but as a cop's daughter, Bella knew the danger's she could be exposing herself to. Yet Bella had spoken the truth to Seth – she couldn't be sure the Cullen's would care if she turned up. So what was she to do?

In the end, Bella decided her best chance was to find Carlisle. If they did turn her away, maybe he would at least provide her with a new id so Bella would have a safer way of earning the funds she needed to survive. Remembering Seth's plea to stay alive, she knew shew would beg him if that was what it took.

Following the plan she had outline on the bus, Bella stayed to the side roads and searched for a phone book, or signs for the hospital. It was mid-afternoon when she finally found a map of the town, and learned the hospital was located on north western side. It would be dark by the time she managed to walk all the way there, if this was where the Cullen's lived then hopefully Carlisle would be working tonight and already in the hospital.

Hours later, Bella finally stumbled out of the woods and into the parking lot belonging to the hospital. It was a small spark of hope when she realized the lot was entirely outdoors. She had kept to the tree line as much as possible, and as careful as she had been, still managed to add a few new scrapes and scratches.

Starting on the upwind side of the lot, she began her search for the Mercedes. A winter storm was moving in, and Bella hoped the wind would cleanse the lot of her scent.

Row after row, Bella walked. She huddled into herself to try and stay somewhat warm. Yet it appeared her search was in vain. She was down to the last few rows in the lot and had accepted the fact that either Carlisle was not working tonight or Sue was wrong and the Cullen's weren't here at all. Resigning herself to finding some semblance of shelter in the forest in the hopes of making it through the cold night, Bella turned the corner and started down the last row of cars. And then she stopped in disbelief.

Was that? Just three cars ahead of where she stood was a black sedan. It couldn't be. Yet she forced herself forward anyway. There, across the trunk of the car, was S55 AMG and a Mercedes logo. She had found it.

The relief the flooded her system ate up the last of her strength. Refusing to consider the possibility that this was someone else owned this S55 Mercedes, she forced herself to walk between the drivers' door and the car parked in the next space, and curdled herself into a ball.

Bella fought to stay away through the remainder of the night. She hoped Carlisle would at least listen to her if she was aware of his presence before he knew the heartbeat belonged to her. If she allowed herself to yield to the need for sleep, she well imagined he could move her without ever waking her and the Cullen's would disappear again. As cold as she was, she also feared she might succumb to hypothermia if she slept.


	6. Chapter 6

Carlisle sighed as he left his office. It was the end of his shift and time to head home. Making his way through the halls at a human pace, he sent Esme a quick text to let her know he was on his way. It had been a mostly quiet night, a few humans with minor injuries from losing control of their cars in the snow. Nothing too serious thankfully. However, that also meant nothing serious enough to distract his thoughts from the state of his family. Nothing had been the same since they had left their youngest daughter behind in Forks. Truth be told, he was anxious to get home to Esme. She was the one who concerned him the most – even though they all knew Bella was safer without their presence in her life, his sweet wife felt she had betrayed one child in following Edward's wishes. He would never forget how the death of her infant son had broken her. While he knew this loss was not the same – Bella was perfectly safe back in Forks – he still did not like to leave Esme alone these days.

Truth be told, he agreed with Esme. Bringing Bella into their family and then leaving her behind without a word had truly been a betrayal of her trust. What must his youngest daughter thought when she learned they were all gone? He comforted himself with the knowledge that humans moved on over time and by now, Bella would be enjoying her senior year and looking into colleges to attend.

He had kept to a human pace in the lot, and was just nearing the row where he had parked. Not wanting to take closer spaces from humans who needed them, he always parked in the very back lot under the guise of getting his exercise. It was still dark in this early morning hour, and the snow continued to fall. So he was surprised when he began to hear a human heartbeat. The slow pace of the thumps was concerning to him… who was out here and how long had they been in the cold?

He took in a deep breath, but the wind was at his back and he gleaned no scent information. Increasing his pace as much as he dared, Carlisle followed the sound of the heartbeat and stopped in shock when he found a human covered in snow and huddled against his car. When the human looked straight at him and stuttered out "C…Car..lisle…pul…please…" he would have sworn he felt his stone heart jump in his chest. For the human who lay before him and stared at him with a mixture of fear and desperation was none other than his youngest daughter.


	7. Chapter 7

"Please Carlisle…don't le..leave…mu..meee" Hearing Bella chatter out her plea to him snapped Carlisle from his frozen shocked state. In the next instant he knelt in front of her and was simultaneously pulling his scarf off and brushing the snow from Bella. He wrapped her hat-less head with the scarf before bundling her in his own coat.

Now that his body blocked the wind from her, he could smell dried blood and realized she must be injured. Yet he needed to get her into the hospital and warmed. So he leaned over and began to pick her carefully up. Bella shocked him again by grabbing his coat and shouting out a "No!" He felt the tremors running through her body increase and pulled back to look at her.

His daughter, the very human who had walked into a house of vampires fearing only that they wouldn't like her, now looked at him with terror in her brown eyes. His stone heart cracked. Had their betrayal been so severe that she was terrified of even him? "Bella, I'm not going to hurt you" he hurried to reassure her.

"Don't leave me Carlisle." Her response surprised him. Why did she keep saying that? And the way she gripped his shirt… did she truly think he would leave her here in this state?

"Bella, I'm not going to leave you, but you're obviously injured and have been in the cold too long. I need to get you into the hospital."

"No, please no! No hospital! No hospital!" The sudden increase in her heart rate concerned him, and he hurried to calm her.

"Ok Bella, no hospital, for now. But we need to get you warm."

"You won't leave?" hearing this, Carlisle wanted to sob.

"No Bella, I'm not leaving. I'm going to get you to the house." Bella finally eased her grip and Carlisle lifted her as carefully as he could. Walking around to the passenger side, he eased her into the seat. A blink later and he was sitting in the driver's side starting the ignition so he could warm the car.

Turning to her, he looked her over. "I smell dried blood Bella, where are you hurt?"

"Ju..just a ff..few scratches, I'm mo… mostly cold." Shaking his head, for he knew by the old bruise on her forehead that it was more than just a few scratches, he choose to let that go for now.

"Why are you afraid of the hospital Bella?" Looking up at him, Carlisle could see the fear reignite in Bella's eyes.

"Charlie will…will me and sh sh she'll kill us bb..both."

"Who Bella?"

"Victoria…I'm so..sorry Carlisle…I had no other choice. I didn't mean to bring danger to your home! I need your help!"

"Shh, Bella. It's alright, calm down sweetheart. Take a deep breath for me" Carlisle hurried to reassure his obviously panicking daughter before she could begin to hyperventilate. He listened as her breaths slowed and her heart rate recovered.

"That's it. Now look at me Bella" taking care to grasp the scarf and not her cold skin, he gently framed her face with his hands and forced her eyes to his. "I don't know how you found us, or what is going on, but I promise you this: You are safe and I will not leave you to Victoria. Do you believe that?"

He watched as Bella's eyes searched his, finally, she nodded, "Yes, Carlisle, I believe you."

Carlisle wanted to ask Bella more, but he knew he needed to see to her immediate condition first. When she had panicked, he was able to hear her ribs rubbing together, so he knew she had broken at least one of them. He also hadn't missed the wince each time she had grabbed his shirt earlier. From the blue tinge to her lips, he guessed she had sat by his car for hours in the cold. He needed to get her home to treat her.

"Alright sweetheart, here's the plan. I'm going to bring you to the house so we can get you warmed up and treated. We'll get you something hot to eat. After I've assured myself your health is in no danger, then you can tell me what is going on. Deal?"

"Deal." As she gave her agreement, Carlisle finally saw the fear in Bella's eyes disappear. Not allowing himself to dwell on that fact that his daughter had been afraid of him, he instead continued to focus on her needs.

By now the car was warming nicely, he double checked that he had turned the passenger seat warmer on and then, pausing to let Bella know his intentions, he stepped out to clear the snow from the car. A moment later they were backing out of the space, heading for home.

As he pulled out of the parking lot and onto the main road, Carlisle dialed Esme on his cell phone.

"Hello dear, did you get delayed?" having received his text message earlier, Esme assumed he was calling to tell her he would be longer.

"Just a slight delay Esme. I've just pulled out of the hospital. I'm bringing an injured friend with me and need your assistance" he decided against telling her who it was just yet. He didn't want to risk re-agitating Bella – would she also fear his wife?

"Would you mind warming up some soup and making up the guest bed?"

"Of course I don't mind Carlisle. I'll have some hot soup and bread ready when you get here" Esme responded with her gentle concern. Carlisle knew she would realize the guest was human and see to turning the house and water heaters on. By the time they arrived, there should be plenty of hot water for Bella to soak in.

"See you soon love" with that Carlisle hung up and glanced at Bella. Now that she was warming up and the adrenaline rush she had likely experience was wearing off, she was nodding off. Still concerned over her physical condition, he knew he couldn't allow her to sleep just yet.

"Bella, honey, I need you to stay awake for me." Relieved to see her shake herself awake, he watched as she pulled his scarf from her head and removed a glove. Curiously, she kept the other glove on and held her shaking, gloveless hand to the heat vent. More certain now that the other hand was injured, he picked up the glove from her lap and held it to his vent to warm the inside.

After a few minutes, he handed it back to Bella and encouraged her to put it back on. Then he did the same with the scarf. He planned to carry her into the house, so she would only be exposed to the weather for seconds, but she still needed to retain as much heat in her body as possible.

"It's just another ten minutes to the house Bella, how are you holding up?" He watched her fear return when he mentioned the house. She spoke before he could question her further.

"Will they be mad? The other's?" she asked.

"Why would they be mad Bella?" Carlisle wondered.

"Victoria. She might follow me here. I've brought danger to your family."

Something clicked in Carlisle's mind. He began to understand Bella's earlier behavior better. "Is that why you were afraid of me Bella? And the others? You think we will blame you if Victoria shows up?"

He heard a quiet "Yes" come from her side of the car and felt the earlier crack in his heart widen. Just what had they done to her that she thought they would value their quiet life over her own safety?

Self-depreciation raced through him, hardening his words as he spoke next, "Let me assure you Bella, no one in this family will care if Victoria finds us, so long as you are safe. She is no threat to us and I promise you, she will have to come through us to get to you."

Softening his tone, he continued, "I assure you that is true of the whole family, but Esme is the only one in Ithaca with me." He kept the reasons for that to himself for now. Knowing his daughter as he did, he knew she would blame herself for their absence. He saw the skepticism remain in her gaze, but her fear at least dimmed with the news that she would only be facing Esme.

By now they had arrived at the Cullen driveway, and as he turned the car off the road, he spoke again, "I'm going to park in front of the house sweetheart. Just stay there, I'll carry you in. I'd rather not risk aggravating any of your injuries." He just hoped that one rib was the worst of it.

"Alright Carlisle, thank you" the ease in which she capitulated was testament to just how exhausted she must be. Judging from the gaunt look to her face, it wasn't just sleep she had been missing out on.

Parking the car directly in front of the front steps, he was out and reaching for Bella before she even had her seatbelt off. As he lifted her into his arms, she buried her head in his chest, burrowing away from the cold wind. At his full speed, he spun around and was through the front door Esme held open, hearing his wife gasp as she caught Bella's scent.


	8. Chapter 8

Gently, he placed Bella on the couch. "Esme, some blankets please?" he requested as he began to unwrap Bella from her layers.

"Of course," Esme was back with the blankets in the time it took him to remove Bella's first glove. He glanced up at his wife, "She's been exposed to the cold, is injured, and I'm certain hungry as well. I don't know where or how severe her injuries are, so I'll remove her clothing carefully, and if she has no open wounds, we will get her into a warm bath. I'm concerned she may also be suffering from frostbite."

He had spoken at a volume to allow Bella to hear him and looked to her now, "does that work for you sweetheart?"

"Carlisle…I'm fine really…" cutting her off, Carlisle looked at her sternly.

"First Bella, it is very obvious you are far from fine. Second off, you agreed to allow me to treat your injuries here. It would help if you stopped insisting you were fine, and tell me what your injuries are."

The flash of fear that crossed Bella's face at the mention of their deal made him feel like an ogre, but he needed her cooperation if he was to ensure her wellbeing. It was obvious she was still waiting for them to turn her out. He could always sedate her for the examination, but that would only further erode the fragile trust she had in him.

"Alright," Bella finally capitulated to detailing her injuries. "Most of it is from several days ago. Just a few cuts and scrapes from walking in the woods today." As she spoke, Carlisle continued to pull off her other glove, both jackets and the sweater she wore.

He knew Bella had caught Esme and his reactions to her hand and the skin revealed by her tank top when she hurried to downplay what they could see, "About a week ago is when most of it happened, mostly it really is just bruises."

"That hand is more than obviously broken, and I heard your ribs rubbing earlier so don't try downplaying that as bruises either," giving her a disapproving look Carlisle gently examined the tips of both hands, not happy to see the blue tinge to the skin.

Picking up one of the blankets Esme held, he wrapped it around Bella's shoulders to keep her from getting too chilled. Then he examined the bruised cut on her forehead and gave her a neurological exam to rule out any brain injuries. Checking over her scalp, he found a few more sore spots but nothing as severe as her forehead.

"Bella, I'm going to lift your tank top up, but I won't uncover you, ok? I need to inspect those ribs of yours." Pausing with the hem in his grasp, he waited for her nod before folding the fabric up. What he revealed caused Esme to gasp in horror. For the first time, Carlisle was glad Edward was not here in Ithaca. 'Mostly bruises' was one way to describe the motley assortment of blacks, purples and yellows that encompassed the majority of Bella's rib cage. On one side, he could see some more recent bruising layered over the older bruises. Obviously she had reinjured the area. Leaning her forward, he lifted the blanket to inspect her back. The bruising here was no better. Gently, he palpated her spine for any breaks. Thankfully he found none.

Sitting her back again, he looked her in the eye, "Bella, with such severe bruising, I don't need x-rays to tell you have a significant number of broken ribs. How you are handling the pain the way you are, I have no idea. Unfortunately, pain medication is not the best idea just now."

"It's ok Carlisle; honestly I'm used to it at this point." Bella gave a shaky smile.

Sighing, Carlisle continued, "From the sounds of your lungs, you haven't punctured them. With this much damage to your rib cage, that is still a serious threat. So I want you to stay as still as you can for me until we can get them wrapped. Just let me or Esme do any moving for you, ok?"

Bella nodded and Carlisle picked up another blanket, laying this one across her lap.

"Esme, would you ease her jeans off? I need to examine her legs next."

As the jeans came off it was obvious the bruising continued down both of Bella's legs, all the way to her feet. The right leg was far worse than the left and it quickly became obvious that her right knee and ankle were sprained. Her toes had fared worse in the cold than her fingers had, but thankfully the only breaks he found were to her right hand and rib cage.

Satisfied she had no open wounds, Carlisle decided to treat her for cold exposure first, "Esme, would you run Bella a warm – not hot – bath in our tub? The built in bench will be better for her ribs than the guest bath."

As Esme ran ahead, Carlisle turned back to Bella, "Ok sweetheart, let's get you warmed up. I'm going to pick you up and this time I don't want you to move anything. Not even your arms, alright?"

"Alright." He picked her up as if she was made of glass and took care not to jostle her at all as he headed up the stairs.

"Esme, if you would take the blankets off, I'm going to lower her into the tub and then turn my back. Would you remove the remainder of her garments and let me know if there are any further injuries?"

"Sure dear," Esme pulled the blankets away and Carlisle lowered Bella into the water. She hissed in pain as the warm water brought feeling back to her extremities.

"I'm sorry Bella, I'll be able to give you something for the pain after your bath."

"It's ok Carlisle, you've already done more than I had hoped for," such genuine gratitude for care and concern that Bella should have been able to expect from them. For all the pain Carlisle felt in his heart, he knew Esme's would be worse. They still didn't know what had happened in their absence, but clearly their belief that Bella would be better off with them gone had been a foolish one.

Standing, he turned his back. He heard the sound of wet clothing hitting the floor before Esme spoke, "She's ok dear, just some more bruises on her ribs and hips".

"Slowly warm the water Esme, we don't want to shock her system by warming her too quickly. I'm sure she would appreciate a gentle scrubbing, but be extremely careful of her ribs. Bella, sweetheart, let Esme do all the moving for you," he gave a gentle reminder before heading down to the kitchen.

Quickly filling a mug with some of the hot soup Esme had made, he headed back upstairs and passed it off to his wife. Then grabbing several towels from the linen closet, he set about warming them and some of Esme's pajama's in the dryer. Next, he set about making some hot chocolate for after her bath. As he worked, he kept his ears tuned to the sounds of Bella's lungs. If she punctured one he needed to be able to react immediately, from the severe bruising, it was a miracle she had not already done so.


	9. Chapter 9

Esme gently scrubbed Bella's scalp and then rinsed the shampoo out. As gentle as she had been, it was obvious from the winces the girl couldn't hide that the bruises were bothering her. She wondered how the injuries had occurred, but didn't want to ask yet. She knew her husband had his reasons for keeping Bella's identity from her earlier.

For that matter, how had Bella come to be in Carlisle's care? Or even in Ithaca? The question that truly concerned her though, was the reason behind the glimpses of fear she kept seeing in Bella's eyes. With that and the way she had thanked Carlisle for his simple care; she would have said Bella was expecting them to throw her out on the street. That couldn't be right though; Bella knew them better than that – didn't she?

By now Bella's fingers and toes had returned to a healthier pink shade. She had drank both the soup and hot chocolate and wouldn't be able to fight sleep for much longer, so Esme decided it was best to get her dressed.

"Carlisle, would you bring the warm towels and pajamas up please?"

Carlisle appeared in the doorway with the requested items, "How is she doing?"

"Better, though she's very sore and sleepy."

"That's to be expected unfortunately. Bring her to the guest room; I've got the wrappings for her ribs ready. Once those are on we can let her get some sleep."

Nodding, Esme turned back to the tub. Since the Jacuzzi style tub had built in seating, she didn't worry about Bella slipping under the water in her exhaustion.

"Alright honey, I'm going to lift you out of the water and sit you on the edge of the tub. Let me do the work and we will have you dressed in a jiffy," seeing Bella's ready compliance, Esme slipped one arm behind her back and the other under her knees. Carefully, she pulled her from the water and sat her down. Then, as fast as Esme could without sacrificing carefulness, she had Bella dried and dressed. Wrapping her still damp hair up in the remaining dry towel, Esme again lifted Bella and carried her into the guest room. Carlisle had the covers already pulled back and Esme set her in the bed, ran a gentle hand across her daughter's face, then stepped back to give him room.

"I'm going to take another look at your hands and feet Bella," Carlisle warned her before lifting each limb and inspecting them.

"Good news sweetheart, they look much better. You won't have any permanent damage, just some soreness for a few days." He saw the relief in Bella's eyes; she hadn't said anything but he knew she had to have been concerned about the frostbite.

"For tonight, I'm only going to bandage your hand; the break is already several days old and has begun to set. I'll need an x-ray before I can reset it."

At this, Bella's head popped up. Looking at him directly, she forcefully said, "No Carlisle, you promised. No hospital, my hand will be fine as it is."

Sighing, "Bella, your hand will not heal fine like this, I know your concern regarding the hospital. Will you trust me to get the x-ray you need without anyone realizing who you are?"

Bella looked at both Carlisle and Esme long and hard. It wasn't just her life on the line, she had no doubt Victoria would kill Charlie just to torture her. Could she really trust Charlie's life to the Cullen's? They had lied to her in the past, when they told her she was family. Yet this was Carlisle, she had seen the concern in his eyes when he had thought her a random human huddled in the snow. While she had been nothing more than an entertaining way for their family to blend with the humans, at least the value Carlisle placed in all life seems to have been real.

Bella swallowed back her misgivings and choose to trust that would be enough for Carlisle, "You understand if I'm found it's Charlie who will pay with his life?"

"Yes Bella, I give you my word. No one will know who you are," although he heard Esme's sob at this exchange, it had been below Bella's range of hearing. He had much to explain to his wife once Bella was sleeping soundly.

"Alright Carlisle, an x-ray it is."

"Thank you Bella, I will not abuse your trust in this. Now, how about a shot of some pain medication and then we get those ribs wrapped? After that you can get some sleep."

"What about my part of the deal? I thought you wanted to know everything?" Bella began to worry again; surely Carlisle wouldn't take such care with her injuries and then send her on her way without another word, not when he knew Victoria was after her.

"Absolutely I do, Bella. But you are exhausted, not to mention injured. You need sleep for your body to heal. Our questions can wait," as he spoke he had been preparing the pain medication and quickly administered it with his usual skill. He was done before Bella even noticed the prick – he hadn't forgotten her dislike of needles.

He had selected a button up pajama top for her, so Bella's modesty was preserved as he wrapped her ribs tight, taking care to ensure they were in the appropriate position first. The process was a painful one, so he made use of his supernatural speed to have it over quickly.

Finally, he applied a loose bandage to her broken hand and then helped her to lie back in the bed, Esme tucking her in.

"Sleep as long as you like, sweetheart. Esme and I will keep you safe." With this final reassurance, he watched as Bella succumbed to the darkness of sleep. Hand in hand, he and Esme headed downstairs. If he lived another four hundred years, he didn't think his heart would ever heal from the pain of today.


	10. Chapter 10

_I apologize for another chapter on the short side, but thought you would appreciate an update vs waiting for me to have more content for this update._

* * *

Esme lead the way over to the living room love seat. Carlisle sat first and pulled her onto his lap. He hugged Esme to him while he gathered his thoughts. He wasn't quite sure where to start his explanation, but Esme beat him to the punch.

"She expected us to turn her away, didn't she?"

"Yes, that is the impression I gathered."

Hesitantly, Esme asked, "How did you come to find her?"

Carlisle hedged before answering, "Are you sure you want to hear this Sweet? What's important is that she is safe in our care now."

Knowing he was trying to spare her, Esme gave his question due consideration. "Yes, if we are to help Bella, then I need to know what she's been through, what our leaving did to her."

Carlisle nuzzled her hair before beginning his tale, "Keep in mind I don't know everything yet, like how Bella found us, how exactly she got hurt. But I do know she is running from Victoria, so I assume her injuries are related to that."

"As for how I found, Bella… she was huddled between the Mercedes and the next car. I don't believe it is a coincidence that she choose an upwind location. She wanted to see me before I knew it was her. She was covered in snow and her heartbeat was slow enough to indicate hypothermia. Meaning she had to have been outside for hours before I found her."

"Though she was shaking so badly she could barely speak, she kept begging me not to leave her. Yet, at the same time…" Carlisle had to pause for he was on the verge of breaking down… "at the same time, I could see fear in her eyes – fear of me!"

"That's why I didn't tell you who I was bringing. Bella flat out refused the hospital, yet she was terrified of coming to the house. She actually apologized for bringing the threat of Victoria to our home! As if we care about anything beyond her safety?!"

By now Esme was openly sobbing, and Carlisle paused to monitor Bella's breathing. His voice had risen enough that he risked waking Bella, but based on her heart rate and breathing pattern, she was sound asleep.

"Everything else I know, you saw here. She fears Victoria following Charlie to her, which is why she is so fearful of the hospital. She hesitates and thinks it through each time she must trust me. She felt she had to beg me for my help and protection, and even now, I believe she still fears we will turn her away."

They sat in silence for a while, holding each other as they each cried for how obviously alone their daughter believed herself to be. Instinctively knowing, somehow, that her lack of faith and trust in them was a direct result of leaving her behind all those months ago.

"Carlisle, something doesn't make sense. Earlier, while bathing Bella, I wondered about the fear I would glimpse in her eyes. You've confirmed you also believe she expects us to toss her out. But Bella knows us better than that, knows you better than that. Even though we left her behind without even a good bye, she knows we would never turn anyone away injured and defenseless – let alone her!"

"I wondered about that as well My Love. She knows we left for her own good, so I cannot comprehend where her fear and mistrust stem from. We will simply have to wait until she is well enough to tell us her story."

"Should we call the others home do you think?"

"No. For now, you and I will be adequate protection for her. Her hand will likely need surgery to heal properly, I can do that here if she will allow me. Best the others not be here until after that. Also, I think Bella will trust us more if it is just you and I."

"And poor Jasper, he would misunderstand if he felt any fear from her," Esme added, "but what of Edward? Surely she would know she could trust him?"

"I do not believe involving Edward just yet would do Bella any good. In fact, I think it might bring her harm," Carlisle carefully replied.

"Why on Earth do you think Edward being here would harm Bella – surely he is the one of us she knows she can still trust!" Esme was astounded with his opinion.

"Love, if we bring Edward home now, there is no guarantee he will change his mind about the dangers of having her in our world. Or that she will even want him back after he left her behind. I'd rather not risk bringing further pain to either of them until we know why the very girl who apologized to Jasper for getting a papercut, and insisted each of us has a soul, now believes us cold hearted enough to throw her out, injured and defenseless against Victoria."

Throughout the morning, Carlisle had continued to keep his ears tuned to his sleeping patient. Now her breathing pattern began to change, indicating her pain medicine was wearing off.

"She needs more rest than this, I'm going to give her another dose of the pain reliever. She'll likely sleep several more hours."

Esme stood to let her husband up, "I'll go start on something for her to eat when she awakens. Perhaps soup and a sandwich?"

"I think that will be just fine. She handled the soup and hot chocolate without issue, so a sandwich should be safe at this point."

"Carlisle, is her health still in danger?"

"The bump on her forehead is days old, any danger of a concussion is past unless she hits her head again. With her ribs wrapped, there is minimal risk of puncturing a lung. So other than her hand, I would say yes, she will make a full recovery."

"Other than her hand?"

Sighing, he told her what he had known from the first look at Bella's broken hand, "Her hand was badly broken. The fact that it was allowed to heal before being properly set, means that if Bella is to ever have use of that hand again, I will need to rebreak and set the bones. She'll likely need pins in several of them as well. I can't say for certain until I see an xray, but I don't believe the hand will ever fully heal."

"Can you tell what caused her injuries?"

"Only that they mostly appear to have been caused by impacts."

"Was there any sign of Victoria?"

"No, but I didn't leave Bella to search. You and I will remain with her at all times. Once we know what exactly is going on, we can decide if it's best to alert the others. I don't want to split us up to check for Victoria's trail."


	11. Chapter 11

As Esme headed to the kitchen, Carlisle grabbed his medical bag and headed upstairs. Bella's sleep was definitely becoming restless, so he hurried to prepare the pain medication. After administering the shot, Carlisle watched as Bella slipped into a deeper sleep. Staying by the bedside to watch over her, he took comfort in the steady rise and fall of her chest. He said a prayer of thanks that he had not left the hospital any later; for he knew her human body would not have withstood the cold for much longer.

He wondered just how she had managed to travel across the country in her condition. And how had she even known where to look for them? To facilitate a clean break for Bella, Edward had intended to keep their new location from her, had he changed his mind regarding that detail? How had Bella obtained her injuries? Yes, she had made it clear Victoria was after her, but Bella stood zero chance of escaping the clutches of a vampire. So just where did she get her injuries? The more he pondered the more questions he found.

Turning his mind to planning for her care, he knew once she awoke the time would come for answers. He honestly wished he could put it off longer; allow Bella to heal more before delving into a difficult conversation with her, but knew that Bella would only see that as intent to turn her out. After all, what use were the details if they weren't going to keep her around? No, if Bella was to trust his purpose in taking her to the hospital, and his ability to keep her identity unknown, then the three of them would have to talk first. After that, they would see about the x-ray followed by more rest.

Carlisle also made a mental list of everything he wanted to gather at the hospital. Supplies for the hand surgery and cast of course, but he also wanted to grab several bags of saline solution and some IV lines, bandages, and the appropriate medications Bella would be needing. Since leaving Forks behind, he no longer kept medical supplies readily available at the house. He would have Esme accompany them; he wouldn't risk her facing Victoria alone. For the same reason, Esme would have to remain in the house while he operated on Bella's hand. Thankfully they had hunted just yesterday.

Time passed, and Esme appeared at his side. "The soup is simmering, it'll be ready when she awakes. How is Bella?"

"She's resting peacefully, though she'll certainly be sore when she awakens. Unfortunately, I don't have any pain medication in my bag that won't knock her out. I'll pick up something less sedating while we are at the hospital."

"The poor dear! Perhaps I should move another chair in here and grab some extra pillows. I think she'll be more comfortable if she can stay put until it's time to leave."

"An excellent thought my love."

After doing just that, Esme joined Carlisle in watching over their daughter. The sun was just setting when Bella began to stir again. Esme quickly slipped downstairs and was back by the time Bella opened her eyes. Moving at a more human pace, she set the tray with soup, sandwich and a cup of tea on the dresser. Turning around, she made her way back to Bella's bedside.

She and Carlisle watched quietly as Bella used her good hand to rub the sleep from her eyes. It was clear from her slow movements that she was already feeling sore.

Carlisle leaned forward, "How are you feeling honey?"

Bella jumped, having not yet realized they were in the room with her, then tried to push herself up only to be stopped by two cold hands on her shoulders.

"Sorry Sweetheart, I should have realized you didn't know we were sitting here. Don't try to sit up on your own just yet. Let me lift you and Esme can tuck the extra pillows behind you, alright?"

"Alright," Bella was feeling fairly weak anyways, so it was easy for her to let Carlisle do the work lifting her back. Before she knew it she was settled upright against some very comfortable pillows. Carlisle settled back in his chair and looked Bella over before speaking again.

"I must apologize Bella, it appears you're already feeling the pain return but I don't have anything to give you that won't sedate you."

"That's ok, I'm really feeling much better than I was Carlisle, thank you." Which was the truth, having her ribs and wrist supported with the wraps were definitely helping her pain levels, though she wasn't looking forward to movement.

"Bella honey, Esme brought you up something to eat; do you think we could have that talk whilst you do so?"

Bella replied without looking at him, "Sure Carlisle." When he had mentioned the talk, he heard Bella's breathing and heart rate begin to pick up. Sadly, he guessed the reason was she still expected to be sent away after telling her story.

"Honey, look at me…" as he said this he reached over and cupped her right cheek, gently turning her to face him so he could look her in the eyes, "…I can't say I understand why you seem frightened of us, or what's happened to you, but I can promise you, you are safe here, and we won't leave you to deal with this on your own."

His heart stung as he saw the mistrust in her eyes. Clearly whatever had affected her faith in them had gone to the very core. "Alright Bella, how about that food now huh?"

Bella felt guilty for not believing Carlisle, but she had been lied to by him in the past. Truthfully, part of her was surprised she had woken up still at their house. Not wanting to upset him too much she hurried to agree, "Please."

Esme brought the tray over and settled it on Bella's lap. The soup and tea were still hot, and she had fixed it with honey, the way she remembered Bella loved it, "Here you go Sweetheart, eat up."

After taking a sip of the tea, and a bite of the chicken sandwich, Bella looked up at Carlisle and asked, "Where should I start?"

Ever the doctor, Carlisle's reply was predictable, "How about with how you got those injuries."

Bella started to reply, then stopped. She suddenly wasn't sure how to explain. After all, she didn't think the Cullen's knew about this current pack, nor Bella's friendship with them. Just how far back should she go? And what about the incident with Laurent? Or did they know it all already? After all, wouldn't Alice have seen it all happen? It was too much for Bella to contemplate in her current condition, so she decided to stop thinking it through and just answer the questions as they were asked.

"Most of them are from when Victoria attacked me. Some after that from my innate clumsiness enhanced by the pain I was in. And, as you know, some from the weather itself."

This shocked both Esme and Carlisle, for though they knew Bella had been running from Victoria, how could she have survived an actual attack without their protection?

"Bella, honey, don't misunderstand me – I'm very glad that you are here, alive – but how on earth did you escape Victoria?"

Bella ate some more of the food Esme had fixed before replying, "To explain that, I think I need to go back a bit farther. There are things you aren't aware of…"

Before continuing she looked them both in the eye, to be sure they were ok with that, after a nod from them both, she asked, "do you remember your first visit to Forks? Decades ago?"

"Of course honey, but what does that have to do with Victoria?" Esme replied.

Still hedging, Bella asked, "Do you remember meeting some unusual people then?"

At this she heard Carlisle suck his breath in and then he looked at her sharply, "Bella…are you saying what I think you are?"

"Yes, Carlisle, there is a new pack in La Push, and I owe my life to most of them." Bella could tell that news shocked them, so she finished her soup and sandwich as she waited for the next question. It didn't take long.

"Your friend Jacob, he's one of them, isn't he?"

At the mention of Jacob, Bella had to fight back tears. In her run for survival, she hadn't had time to dwell on Jacob or Sam. Had she done enough for them? Or had she been to slow to remember how to help?

"Yes, Jacob is one of the pack, as well as my best friend." Carlisle and Esme exchanged a look at this, but wisely remained silent. They didn't like the idea of Bella being close to volatile young wolves, but this wasn't the time to discuss it. Especially since it seems the wolves had protected Bella when they had failed to do so.

"Can you tell us what happened that day Sweetheart?" Esme could tell Bella was becoming upset, so she gently pushed her forward in her tale.

Bella picked up the teacup and stared into it as she spoke, "What happened that day was my fault."

"I doubt that honey, you have no control over Victoria's actions," Carlisle attempted to reassure her.

"No, but I knew she was out there," Bella felt shame for her impatience that day, Paul was right about one thing – she was responsible for Jake and Sam getting bit, "you see…before I knew about the pack, I had been out hiking. Laurent was hunting nearby and stumbled upon me. His eyes were red." Bella decided to keep just why she had been hiking to herself. Though she still found it easy to talk to Carlisle & Esme, she knew not trust them this time. She wasn't going to let on just how obsessed with Edward she remained. Better to not give them any reason to send her away.

"Oh Bella, no! Tell me he didn't…" Esme was horrified and couldn't finish her thought. Her daughter had been attacked by not one, but two human drinkers!

"At first, he just talked. But no matter what I said otherwise, it became clear he knew you all had left. That's when he let me know Victoria had sent him to scope out the area. He let me know what she had planned for me was anything but a painless death. 'Mate for mate' he called it. He then told me I was fortunate he was thirsty as he was going to spare me her wrath with a fast, painless death. I knew trying to get away was hopeless, so I silently said my goodbyes."

Bella jumped as the sound of wood splintering echoed around the room. The armrest of Carlisle's seat had been broken into two pieces. Bella believe this reaction must be to the fact that Victoria's end game was to hurt Edward. Esme reached over and placed her hand on Carlisle's arm, which he covered with his own.

"It was when he reached out towards my head that I heard the growls. The wolves had come out of nowhere. I was shocked when Laurent actually ran from them. It wasn't until a few days later that I learned about the pack. They had killed Laurent and spent weeks playing cat & mouse with Victoria. She kept trying to get through their lines to me. They always managed to head her off, but were never able to catch her."

"And that day," Carlisle prompted.

"As I said, that day was my fault. You see, there is a cliff in La Push where kids go diving. Jake had promised to take me when he was done patrolling. But he was late, and I got impatient. I went alone. Victoria was there, ecstatic to see me walk right into her path with no protectors around. Lucky for me, the pack had been following her trail. I got most of these injuries when Jake managed to knock me away just before she would have grabbed me. Unfortunately, I hit a tree, which is why both of my sides are bruised."

Bella continued to tell about that day, the fight, Jake and Sam getting bitten. Waking only to learn they were dying then attempting to remove the venom from their system and then, of course, Paul and her subsequent flight from Forks. By the time she was done, she was openly crying.

Carlisle and Esme's eyes were both glistening with tears that would never be shed. Their daughter had almost been killed twice because they had left her unprotected. Thank God the wolf pack had returned to the Quileute tribe. Was Paul's betrayal the reason Bella seemed to expect the same from them? It didn't seem like enough of a reason, but what else could it be? Composing himself, Carlisle slipped back into doctor mode. The father in him still had many questions left, and he knew there was more to the story but it was clear Bella was exhausted. The crying was likely paining her ribs significantly. Her hand couldn't continue untreated either.

Slipping to his knees at her bedside, Carlisle took Bella's good hand in his, cradled her cheek with his other and looked her in the eyes, "I am so sorry we were not there to protect you, Bella. I assure you we will do so from here on out. I will be eternally grateful to the wolves for saving your life. We still have many questions for you, but they can wait for later. For now, I think we'd best get that hand taken care of. Is it alright if Esme helps you wash up? Then the three of us will head to the hospital. As I promised last night, no one will know who you are."

Shocked at the apology, but still not able to believe it's veracity – Bella decided to hedge, "That would be nice, but please Carlisle, if you decide you don't want to risk Victoria, I just need your help in getting new identification so I can keep moving," glancing down in shame she added, "and I spent the last of my funds getting here…" Bella felt her checks burning at having to ask the Cullen's for money. She did it anyways though, knowing if she had enough to get by when they sent her away, she could be a bit choosier as to where she stopped to work and how she traveled.

Carlisle had watched as Bella absorbed his words. Shock and amazement seemed to war with mistrust in her eyes. He wasn't sure how much longer he and Esme could take not knowing where this distrust stemmed from. As soon as they had Bella's health taken care of, the three of them would be having a heart to heart, "Honey, as long as Victoria is a threat to you, you are not leaving our sight. I promised you we will protect you, and I mean that. I don't know why you think we'd turn you out, but you will see the truth in it for yourself."

Bella felt her heart sink. He hadn't agreed to help her with identification or money. Carlisle's promise of protection meant nothing to her, for she had heard it before and discovered it to be just words. She feared it wouldn't be long before she was back on the run, but at least she would be healed when she started out this time.

Carlisle could see his words had little effect in winning Bella's trust. Caressing her cheek with his thumb, he stood up and stepped back to give her some space. "I'm going to give you some privacy so Esme can help you freshen up & get dressed. Your ribs are wrapped now, but still let Esme do most of the work so they can rest." Turning to Esme he continued, "I'm going to make sure the car is warmed up while you ladies are getting ready, then I'll be back to help her out." He knew Esme was more than capable and there would be no humans to wonder at her strength, but he felt the need to care for Bella too.

"We'll be ready shortly," giving him a sad smile, Esme moved to Bella's side. Sitting on the bed, she decided to throw caution to the wind and enveloped Bella in a hug. Felling the girl stiffen, she continued to hug her anyways, careful to keep it loose to avoid her injuries, "shhh darling, it's just a hug, nothing more". Thankfully, her words worked and Bella relaxed. She rocked her daughter from side to side; grateful she could ease the girl's distress even a little.

Bella knew Esme's gesture was just part of the same act the Cullen's had given her in Forks, but she had never felt so alone and for just a few moments she wanted to believe it was real.


	12. Chapter 12

Wanting the car to be as warm as possible, Carlisle had it started, the heater cranked up and was back inside the house just seconds after leaving the bedroom. To give the girls time to get Bella dressed, he slowed to a human walk and headed into his office. Stepping behind his desk, he opened the built-in safe and removed some papers. In his hand was the license and passport Jasper had ordered for Bella back when Edward expected to run with her in order to keep her hidden from James.

He hadn't told Bella he already had a new id for her ready to go, because he didn't want her deciding she was an unwanted burden to them and attempting to strike out on her own. It was clear she already expected to be sent away, he and Esme would have to tread carefully in that regard. At least until they'd cleared the air between them all.

He didn't expect to need them at the hospital – it was normal for him to x-ray his own patients when things were slow in the emergency room – but he wanted them with him just in case an administrator happened to realize Bella wasn't in the billing system. This too would not raise flags beyond the need to present ID (administrators normally entered patients after they'd been triaged and could be missed as they were moved for tests). But if she had no id to present, then questions would be raised. Since Bella was 18, Charlie would not have been able to issue an Amber Alert for her, but he could use his police connections to get her picture and name out through other means. The less questions they raised, the better off they would be.

Tucking the id in his pocket, he headed back downstairs to the foyer closet. After bundling up in his own winter props, he chose a matching women's scarf and hat, but grabbed a pair of men's winter gloves. Taking the items to the laundry room, he tossed them in the dryer to ensure Bella would be extra warm. After a few minutes, he stopped the dryer and brought the items, as well as a winter jacket, up to the guest room.

He knocked on the door and then waited until Esme instructed him to enter. Bella sat on the bed, dressed in a fleece lounging set that he knew belonged to Esme. Poor Bella already looked exhausted. He would do his best to make this outing fast, then get her back to bed.

Placing the gear beside her, he held a glove out for Bella to slip her good hand into. Then he gently lifted her broken hand and guided it into the other glove. The task done, he and Esme worked together to guide her into the jacket, minimizing any movements Bella would otherwise need to make. He gently tucked the wool hat over her head and wrapped the scarf around her, ensuring her nose and mouth was covered.

"You can remove this in the car if you like and we'll fix it when we get to the hospital, but as cold as you were last night, I don't want you directly breathing the chilled air when you are outside. Your lungs will need a break after the hypothermia you've suffered."

"Alright."

Seeing the doubt in her eyes and interpreting it as concern for Charlie with this hospital visit, he gently reached out and brushed a lock of hair away from her face, "It'll be ok Bella, just a quick visit to the x-ray room, then you and Esme can wait for me in my office. No one will recognize you or have a chance to realize you aren't a patient in the system."

Bella nodded her head and quietly said, "I'm ready".

Reaching one arm behind Bella's back and the other under her knees, Carlisle picked her up as delicately as possible. Still, he heard her heart rate increase from the pain of her bruises pressing against his body. Turning to his wife, he instructed, "Esme, I'd like you to sit in the backseat, I'll set Bella next to you so you can help hold her still."

"Alright dear, I'll run on ahead."

Bella felt a small breeze and heard the front door close. She knew Esme was already waiting in the Mercedes for them, yet Carlisle followed at a human pace and managed to keep her impossibly still. She was grateful for this, as it took all she had just to deal with the continuous pain of her injuries.

As they stepped out the door, Bella burrowed herself into Carlisle's chest to avoid the cold, but only a moment passed before she felt him lowering her into the car next to Esme. A heartbeat later, the passenger door was closed and Carlisle sat in the driver's seat. Esme reached over and buckled her in, then buckled herself into the middle seat.

Wrapping her arm around Bella's shoulders to help brace her as necessary Esme said, "We are ready Carlisle." As the car glided into motion, Bella felt torn. On one hand, Esme's embrace definitely stabilized her and prevented additional aggravation of her injuries, but on the other, it reminded her of when she thought there was love for her in Esme's embrace. The emotional pain was nothing compared to whenever she thought of Edward, but it was enough to make her almost prefer bumping around the car instead.

In an attempt to distract herself, she focused her gaze outside on the snow still falling. Now that she was warm, she could appreciate the beauty in the white landscape as they passed at a speed slower than the Cullen's usual pace but still dangerously fast for the conditions, had the driver been human. As exhausted as she was, she felt herself start to nod off within minutes.

Thanks to Carlisle's unnatural skills, it wasn't long before Esme was gently nudging her awake. In keeping with appearances, Carlisle went to grab a wheel chair while Bella & Esme waited in the car. Bella took the time to make sure the scarf was in place over her mouth.

Knowing Bella was still concerned about Charlie finding her, Esme tugged the hood of Bella's jacket over her head, "There honey, keep your gaze down and no one will be able to get a good look at your face."

By now Carlisle was returning with the wheel chair. Esme unbuckled Bella as he opened the door, gently reminding her, "remember honey, let us do the work for you". Nodding her head, Bella sat patiently as Carlisle leaned down, and gave the appearance of struggling to lift her out of the car, rotate in place and then lower her into the waiting chair. As he moved the chair away from the car, Esme climbed out and walked around to the driver's side, "Where should I meet you after I park the car Carlisle?"

"I'm taking her up to my office first, meet us there" his reply was little more than a whisper, but he knew Esme heard him as she settled in the driver's seat and the Mercedes pulled away.

Wanting Bella out of the cold, he continued into the hospital. As expected, the hospital was fairly quiet today and they only encountered the odd patient or nurse as they made their way up in the elevator and then down several hallways until they reached his office. Intent on their own destinations, no one they passed took any undue interest in Bella. Still, it wasn't until his office door was closed behind them that he noticed the tension leave Bella's shoulders.

"Alright sweetheart, let's get you unbundled, then I'll check on the xray lab schedule. We'll slip down there when the technician is on break and get the images we need." As he spoke, he helped her out of all the winter gear she was wearing, then grabbed the blanket off his office couch to drape over her legs.

Once he had Bella settled, he instantly had his own winter props replaced with his lab coat and settled himself in a chair directly in front of his daughter. Slipping into doctor mode, he began filling out a blank chart with the information from Bella's fake passport as a precaution. Then he moved on to updating her medical history already stored in his memory.

"I need to ask you about your medical history over the past several months sweetheart. With my memory, I have perfect recall of your history prior to that. Is that alright with you?" His chest ached as he watched her wince, presumably at the reminder of their leaving.

"Sure, Carlisle," came her soft reply.

He continued on with the typical questions, "Have you been out of the country at all?"

"No".

"Any injuries, illnesses or hospital visits? Other than your current injuries of course?" Oddly enough, Bella's heartrate increased with this question and she wouldn't meet her eyes when she responded.

"I hit my head on a rock last month. No concussion or anything, I just needed a couple stitches to close the wound. Before that…," here she paused and took a deep breath, "before that I was treated at home for exposure. That's all."

That gave Carlisle pause, depending on how recently this was, it could predispose Bella to complications from her current condition, "How long ago was this honey?"

Now Bella's gaze dropped to her chest, and he would never have heard her reply had he been human, "three nights after my birthday". Esme had slipped in the room and settled herself on the couch during their question and answer session. He heard her strangled gasp and knew she had connected the same dots he had. Three nights after Bella's birthday would have been the very day Edward had told Bella of their departure and then left Fork's behind for good. There was no doubt in his mind that the two events were connected.

Forcing himself to save any non-medical questions for when Bella had further recovered, he continued on, "Did you experience any complications or illness as a result of the exposure sweetheart?"

"No."

"Any chance you may be pregnant?" Here Bella's trademark blush lit her face before she replied, "No."

Feeling bad for embarrassing her, he explained, "I had to ask that before we could do the xray, sorry sweetheart."

Sighing, she finally looked up, "I know, it's alright."

Moving to his desk, he pulled up the x-ray lab schedule on his workstation. They were in luck, only another 10 minutes before the technician would take his lunch break, and no patients currently waiting for x-rays.

"Alright Bella, we will head down to the x-ray lab in 10 minutes. It won't take me long to get the images I need of your wrist, then you and Esme can wait back here while I load the car up with the supplies we will need. If you're willing, I'd also like to take some chest x-rays while we are here. Just to make certain there aren't any splintered bones in danger of puncturing your lungs."

He watched as Bella glanced at the door and the tension returned to her shoulders. Gentling his voice, he assured her, "I won't let anyone realize who you really are Bella. I promise you, Charlie will not hear a single suspicion as a result of today's visit."

Bella look at him and searched his eyes before she finally nodded and her shoulders relaxed once more. What he wouldn't give to have Bella's unwavering trust back.

Sighing, he unlocked his desk drawer, selected a bottle a pain medication, and poured out two pills. Grabbing a bottle of water, he walked back over to Bella. "Here you go sweetheart, these will be more effective on your pain than anything over the counter, while not making you further drowsy."

Once she had swallowed them down, the three headed down to the x-ray lab together. Wrapped in the blanket and wearing a baseball cap Esme had brought from the car, Bella was almost as hidden as she'd been in the winter clothes. With her two inhumanly gorgeous escorts, anyone who took notice of the trio, was not focused on her.

It wasn't long before they slipped into the empty x-ray lab and Carlisle got to work on the images he needed. Thankfully the pain pills he had given her were already taking effect, because rotating her wrist to get the angles he needed was no easy task for her.

As the images were digital, there was no need to wait on them to develop. Once the chest x-rays were also completed, they were headed straight back to Carlisle's office.


	13. Chapter 13

Entering his office, Carlisle stopped the wheelchair next to the couch, then stepped around the front & squatted to look Bella in the eyes. Her exhaustion was plain to see on her face. It also showed in her posture. "Honey, it is going to take me a bit to review the x-rays and then gather what we will need. Would you like to nap on the couch until we are ready to leave?"

"Yes, please."

"Alright, you know the drill by now; just hold still while I lift." As she nodded her head, he was already slipping his arms under her knees and behind her back. As he lifted and settled her onto the couch, Esme assisted by pulling the wheelchair out of the way and then settling a pillow under her head. Esme tucked the blanket around Bella's body and slipped the ball cap off her head. Finally, Esme dimmed the office lights knowing doing so would not hamper Carlisle's ability to work in the least.

In the moment it took to get her settled, Bella's eyes were already slipping closed. So he left her in Esme's care and stepped over to his desk. Logging into his workstation, he slipped the drive containing the x-rays in and began to study them.

The chest x-rays showed exactly what he expected after hearing how the rib injuries had happened. Most of the breaks would heal on their own; however the right side of her chest (where she struck the tree) held several splinters that he would need to remove. Mercifully, she had caught her left ribs on the park bench – if it had been the right side, the splinters could have been driven into her lungs. As it was, removing them would only require a couple of small, simple incisions.

Moving on to the hand x-rays, he was saddened to see that his assessment was correct. He would not only need to re-break several bones in her hand, he would then need to set them with external screws that would later need to be removed. Two of the small bones that made up her wrist would also require pins. The x-ray also revealed a small fracture in her arm, close to the wrist bones. Although the fracture would simply require immobilizing the arm for a time, anger and self-disgust still coursed through him. Victoria's attack, coupled with Bella's forced run and subsequent delay in medical treatment had ensured she would not have full use of the hand again – unless she was someday changed. Worse was the knowledge that he was responsible for her situation. As the head of the family, he alone could have overridden Edward's authority as her mate and ensured the family remained with Bella. Foolishly they had believed themselves to be the only threat to her.

Forcing himself to set his emotions aside, he focused on his task. His infallible memory allowed him to create the list of items he would need for both surgeries as he studied the images without the need to write anything down. Unless an unforeseen complication arose, he decided it would be best to correct both the rib splinters and Bella's hand at the same time. This would minimize the number of times she would need anesthesia as well as the overall healing time. He also considered her numerous other injuries and possible complications from the malnourishment and exposure she had obviously suffered. Combined with her visible exhaustion, these problems worried the doctor in him but he knew they would be easier to resolve. If at all possible, his goal was to avoid Bella making a return trip to the hospital.

Finished with his reviews and list making, he looked up to see Esme sitting on the couch arm nearest their daughter's head. She was gently smoothing her hand down Bella's hair. Studying her face, Bella was asleep but judging by the grimace to her expression, was still in pain. Her heart continued to beat at a slightly increased pace – also another sign of her pain. The pills were enough to take the edge off, but she would need the stronger shot if she was to obtain the deep sleep she desperately needed.

Esme took in the pensive atmosphere that seemed to absorb her husband, "Is the news that bad Carlisle?"

Sighing, he responded, "Not any worse than I had anticipated, I simply wished for better. I will save the detailed explanations for when Bella is awake, but she won't regain full use of her hand. She has suffered so much for our absence."

Walking over to him, Esme wrapped him in a hug. "With you as her doctor and physical therapist, I have no doubt she'll recover as much function as is possible. You'll heal her Carlisle, and you and I will see to it that she gets past this. I won't accept any less," she said this with all the determination she could muster.

"Your faith is a gift my Love. I am going to gather the supplies she will need and secure them in the car. I will also warm it back up before I return for you both, allow her continue to sleep in the meantime – she needs all the rest she can get right now," he gently kissed her lips, stood up and walked over to the couch. Bending down, he left a kiss on Bella's forehead before heading out to gather the necessary supplies.

Esme knew it would take some time before Carlisle could return. He would have to be careful not to be noticed by the humans. Carlisle could easily explain some of the supplies away – he was well known for his willingness to make house calls – but she suspected the supplies he would require for Bella's hand surgery would raise a few eyebrows. Although she knew Carlisle would make an anonymous donation for more than the cost of what he was taking now; none of them could afford the questions that would result.

Esme took a seat at Carlisle's desk as she watched over her daughter. Listening to the sound of Bella's heartbeat in the background, she thought of all that had been revealed today. How had Bella ended up suffering exposure on the very day Edward had left Forks? Obviously she had to have been upset, but Edward would have explained that since he would never agree to turn her, it was safest for her if the family left her to her human life without interference and threat. Edward had reported she understood their point of view and subsequent decision even though she passionately differed with it.

Had she viewed it as the betrayal Esme felt it to be? For they all knew Bella's opinion on the matter of her change and by leaving they had all disregarded it. Yet even if she had it didn't explain the exposure she suffered or her severe lack of trust in them. Neither did the attacks by Laurent and Victoria or the subsequent betrayal by Paul. For even if Bella felt their family decision to leave was disloyal to her, she knew they had sacrificed to protect her. Paul's treachery was intended to harm her.

Whatever had destroyed Bella's faith in them, Esme knew one thing: she would not allow her daughter to continue to suffer for the choices of others. Somehow, Carlisle and she would find the root cause and make this right. They would be there to support Bella through adapting to life with limited use of her hand, and after that… well Edward would find out just how much immovable stone she and Carlisle were made of if he even suggested they leave her life again when Victoria was dealt with.

Esme noticed Bella's heart rate increasing and her sleep became restless. Concerned she was slipping into a bad dream, and might hurt herself with the movement, Esme slipped back to the couch and attempted to soothe her by petting her hand through Bella's hair. It seemed to take a minute or two, but Bella finally settled into a calmer sleep.

"Carlisle, her sleep was getting restless. I'm concerned she'll hurt herself if that happens," Esme spoke at a normal volume, knowing Carlisle would hear her.

A few minutes passed and then the office door opened admitting Carlisle. He stepped over to Bella and quickly examined her, "The pain medication I gave her is likely wearing off. I am almost done here Love. The car is warming, I just have a few last items to grab, and then we can get her home. She will sleep deeper once I give her the stronger shot."

"Perhaps you can give it to her in the car? So she's not in pain longer than she needs to be?"

Carlisle gave her a sad look as he responded, "I will give her the choice Love, but I think Bella will want to wait until she sees that we have returned to our house with her. She still believes we will send her away as soon as possible."

"You're right, of course Carlisle. I don't want to see her in pain, but I think you're correct to let her decide. She's in this situation because of decisions others have made for her. If we are going to win her trust back, I think we need to allow her to be involved in as many decisions concerning her as is possible."

"I agree. If she gets restless again, go ahead and awaken her. We will be leaving shortly and she will need to be conscious then anyways."

Leaving his office, Carlisle headed to the pharmacy. Signing out a limited amount of pain killers, muscle relaxers, antibiotics and IVs was easy… most were items he regularly requested for house calls. The anesthesia medications required a bit of vampire stealth, however. It really was too bad Emmett wasn't here for this – he would enjoy playing the part of 007. Once he had all the medications he felt may be necessary, he slipped back to the Mercedes, tucked them away in the trunk and returned to pick the ladies up.

Moving back through the hospital's hallways, Carlisle heard Esme waking Bella. She must have become restless again. He really did not want Bella to be in pain unnecessarily. Thinking through his treatment plan he decided that so long as she continued to agree to not move without their assistance, then she could afford to wait before he removed the splinters. This was important for several reasons: firstly he preferred she have another full night of rest before taxing her body with the surgeries; secondly her thinking ability needed to be lucid when they discussed her injuries and treatment; lastly it meant he could offer her more of the non-sedating painkiller now and by the time the discussion was done he could safely give her the shot.

Slipping into his office, he noticed Esme had already helped her to sit up and was assisting her with her jacket. He gave her a concerned look and said, "Esme told me you were getting restless in your sleep." Wondering why this observation caused Bella to blush he continued, "I know the pain must be getting bad again so I have a choice for you. You can take another dose of the pain pills that I gave you earlier, and we can discuss your injuries as soon as we get home. After that it will be safe to give you the more effective shot and you can get some sleep. Or I can give you the shot when we get to the car, and we can save the discussion for after you awaken. The important thing you need to know before you decide is that you have several rib splinters in your right chest. I need to remove them before they end up bumped into your lungs. Provided you're willing to continue to allow Esme or I to assist you with any movement, then it is safe to delay the surgery for the lesser pills and discussion. If you are not willing to allow us to help, then I need to insist on the stronger shot, as soon as you are in the car and putting the discussion off until after the surgery. I can not in good conscience allow you to risk a punctured lung."

To her credit, Bella took her time to think through all that he had just told her. After a few minutes had passed she responded, "I don't mind keeping still and letting you guys move me and I would prefer to hear what you found before the surgery." He noticed a hesitant look cross her face before she continued, "I'd prefer to be awake for the car ride. Would it be alright to go with the pills now and the talk when we get to the house?"

Even though he expected it, it still hurt to see the signs that she didn't trust them yet. Careful to keep any negative reaction from his face, he grabbed a fresh bottle of water and dispensed two more of the pills. Handing them to her, he assured her, "Of course Sweetheart. Once you take these we will finish getting you bundled up and head home."

It wasn't long before Bella set the bottle down and allowed them to transfer her to the wheelchair before slipping her hat, scarf and gloves on. He once again reminded her to breathe through the scarf to avoid further harm to her lungs. He squeezed her shoulder in reassurance when he saw her tense up as he wheeled her into the hallway. Just as before, most people were focused on getting to their destination and paid them no heed. The few who did were clearly looking at Esme and himself, barely sparing a glance in Bella's direction. When they were close to the exit, Esme slipped ahead to pull the Mercedes up and Carlisle slowed his own pace to avoid a wait in the lobby.

Reaching the exit doors to see the Mercedes in place, Carlisle double checked that Bella's scarf was still covering her nose and mouth, then quickly wheeled her out the door and once again gave the appearance of struggling to lift her. Once Esme had slipped in back with her, he returned the wheelchair to the lobby, slipped into the driver's seat and they were heading home.

Bella finally felt herself relax when they pulled back up to the Cullen's current residence. Now that it was obvious she hadn't been left behind at the hospital or any other facility, she finally felt she could trust that they would not put Charlie at risk. Whether or not they turned her out with Victoria still out there remained to be seen. She wanted to believe them, but she couldn't forget how they failed to show up each and every time her life had been threatened these past six and a half months. She refused to believe Alice did not see each event, and she knew the Cullen's didn't keep secrets from each other. Yet she had no explanation for why Alice wouldn't have forewarned Carlisle that Bella was heading for Ithaca. Lost in thought, the drive went by fast and before she knew it Esme was whisking her into the living room while Carlisle brought the car to the garage.

Bella held still as promised while Esme set her on the couch and tucked her in with a pillow behind her back and another each under her knee and ankle. She then settled a warm blanket over her. "Thank you, Esme."

"Oh you're welcome dear. I suspect this conversation will take some time and I prefer you to be comfortable. It is already early morning and you must be hungry by now; Carlisle is asking if you would prefer a sandwich and some soup again or perhaps eggs and sausage?"

"If it isn't too much trouble, eggs and sausage sounds wonderful, please," to Bella it seemed as if her last repast was days ago. She guessed her stomach was making up for all the missed meals.

"Of course it won't be too much trouble. Your forgetting how quickly we can work. Would you like tea or hot chocolate with it?"

"Tea please."

Moments later Carlisle walked in carrying two trays. One held several ice packs and the other was laden with a generous helping of scrambled eggs, sausage links, toast, hot tea, and a glass of water.

"Here you are Bella. I brought the ice packs to help bring down the swelling in several of your injuries." As he explained, Esme moved the coffee table to directly in front of Bella and Carlisle set the trays on it.

"Go ahead and start eating while I arrange the packs, then we can discuss my assessment of your injuries."

As Bella dug into her breakfast with her good hand, Esme took a seat on the loveseat across from the couch and Carlisle wrapped the ice packs with towels, setting two each around her right knee and ankle. He then used a decorative pillow to rest her injured hand on with another ice pack for it. When he was done, he resettled the blanket over her and then walked to the window. He stood there looking out at the night wishing he had better news for his daughter. Hearing her set the fork back on the tray, he turned around and requested her attention, "Bella."

He waited until she looked up at him, with her hands wrapped around the mug of hot tea, "Sweetheart, this isn't going to be easy to hear."

She held a hand up to stop him and spoke quietly, "Carlisle, you know I'm no stranger to broken bones… from the moment Paul ran me out, medical treatment wasn't an option. I knew the damage to my hand was likely to end up permanent. I really appreciate everything your doing for me, but please… no more lies… I can take the truth. Regardless of what it is."

Carlisle was shocked. Bella had requested 'no more lies.' While he knew Edward was in the habit of toning information down, or attempting to keep it from Bella entirely; to his knowledge no one in their family had lied to Bella since she had begun seeing Edward. Prior to that, the only lies she had been told were those necessary to keep their secret. To what could she possibly be referring?

As tempted as he was to ask, he knew that would lead the conversation to the questions Esme and he were waiting to have answered. That discussion would almost certainly become very emotional. As Bella's doctor, he didn't feel she was ready for it. No, best to add that to the list of items needing to be cleared up after Bella had recovered some.

Walking over to the couch, Carlisle moved the coffee table back and took a knee in front of Bella. Taking her hand in his, he looked her in the eye, "Bella, I promise you that I will not lie to you, sugar coat or withhold the truth. Furthermore, from this point forward, Esme and I will do our upmost best to involve you in any and all decisions that affect you."

He waited as she once again searched his eyes. Finally, she looked down at their hands and spoke quietly, "Alright Carlisle, I believe you."

When he heard Esme sigh sadly, Carlisle could not help chuckling in despair, "Oh Isabella, one thing that has not changed in the last six months is your inability to tell a convincing lie." The blush his family so enjoyed seeing on Bella began to color her face. "We know you still expect us to throw you out and for some reason you are also convinced we will lie to you. Why you believe that of us, I do not understand, but we will save that topic for when your health is not in jeopardy. I promise you that you are safe to give honest answers. You will not suffer for doing so, nor will you anger us. In time, you will see I am speaking the truth. We have much to discuss tonight and I know you are in pain. So let us start with your injuries and my treatment plan…"

He waited until she looked up at him and nodded. Moving to sit on the loveseat beside Esme, he resumed from where she had interrupted him, "The x-rays of your hand revealed multiple breaks in each of your metacarpal – palm – bones. Since they were allowed to begin healing prior to being set, I will have to re-break each. Most will require pins and metal alignment bars to ensure they heal as straight as possible. In your case, I intend to set them externally, so they can be easily removed after the bones have healed. Then I will use a 3D printed cast that will be easily removed so I can ensure the areas around the pins stay clean while immobilizing your hand and arm for the majority of the time."

Pausing to let that sink in, he then continued, "I believe most of the fingers will heal correctly as the breaks are clean, the long term issue is with your wrist. The fracture directly above it is also a clean break that will heal easily however there are two broken bones in your wrist that I will have to set with internal pins. These pins will also be removed after the bone has had time to heal. Once you are through with the cast stage, I will become your physical therapist. I will do my utmost best to help you regain as much mobility as possible; however the reality with this type of injury is that you will never regain 100% mobility unless you should one day undergo the change. That is also partly the reason I've chosen external supports."

He watched as Bella's face paled some when he mentioned the change. He had hesitated to do so, but was adamant that he would keep nothing from her. Was it disappointment over Edward choosing to leave her since he never wanted to risk her soul by changing her? Or something more?

"May I ask what the other reason for the external supports is?"

"Of course Sweetheart. I chose them because removal will be less invasive. This will lead to less recovery for you and be easier for us vampires to handle. By the time they are ready to be removed, Esme and I will have asked some of the others to come help defend against Victoria. They can maintain a perimeter during any surgeries, but they will still be forced to handle some of the scent of your blood."

By now he expected it when Bella's heart took off with the same fear she had displayed in his car when she thought the rest of the family was in Ithaca. She still believed they would blame her for disrupting their lives. Knowing what the fear was about did nothing to dampen the pain in his heart. She had obviously learned to trust him some after the successful hospital visit, but not enough to believe she was not an unwanted burden to any of them. Even Rosalie – despite her gruff exterior – would be horrified to hear what Bella had been through. Rosalie would likely never admit it, but Paul's betrayal had torn Bella from her life just as she had been torn from her own. The manner was vastly different, and depending on how things went with Victoria, Bella had a chance of returning to her own life, but the two girls had much in common right now.

Softly, he reassured her, "We spoke about this already Bella. I know you think that the others will be angered that you may lead Victoria to us. I promise you that is the furthest from the truth. They will each be horrified to learn we left you in danger."

Bella was quiet for a time and when she finally looked at him it was with such a dead look in her eyes that his heart broke all over again. When she spoke her voice was equally deadened, "I wish I could believe that Carlisle, I want to believe you when you promise not lie to me but all three of us know you just did." It was as if she had accepted defeat and there was no fight left in her.

If he was honest with himself, he was a bit offended. How had his integrity become so impugned in Bella's eyes? He forced himself to remember the pain she was currently in and her need for sleep. As much as he ached to resolve this here and now, it had to wait.

"I can see you truly believe that Bella, and that saddens me deeply. Since now is not the time to delve into why, do you at least believe me when I say I personally will continue to protect you regardless of how you believe the others will react to your situation?"

Bella hesitated with her response, "I want to say yes. You could have easily left me behind at the hospital if you wanted nothing to do with this…but the past tells me you all must have known."

"I will accept that answer for now honey. In time, I feel my actions will reveal to you the truth. Let us continue on with the medical discussion so you May get some much needed sleep."

At this Bella sighed dejectedly but nodded her head. Esme choose that moment to speak up, "How about a fresh cup of tea Sweetheart? Maybe something soothing… I have both lavender and passionflower?"

"Lavender please Esme. Thank you, more hot tea would be nice." She still spoke in that dead voice, and her demeanor had not improved, but to Carlisle it showed a small victory. Bella at least was comfortable enough with them to now admit she did not believe them. She also trusted that Esme would not be put out to provide the tea. And she had admitted to wanting to believe him. Small changes, but Carlisle would take what positives he could find in this situation.

"Alright Bella, while Esme sees to the tea, let us speak about your ribs. In my professional opinion, they pose a most significant threat to your health at this time. Overall there are more broken ribs than I hoped to see but on the left side of your chest, they are all clean breaks that will heal without intervention. As hard as Jacob's body would have been, it still would have flexed during the impact. Obviously the same cannot be said for the tree which you impacted with your right side. While most of the breaks in your right chest will heal on their own, three shards have splintered off. To be quite frank Bella, had you impacted the park bench on the right, rather than the left, they would have been driven straight into your lung. They are why your ribs will remain wrapped and you immobile until after the surgery. Until I have removed them, your lungs will be at risk. The good news is that they will only require a simple incision to access. Once they are out we will forgo any rib wrapping to avoid increasing your risk for pneumonia."

He could hear the water for the tea beginning to boil. He knew Esme would have used the time to compose herself after the pervious turn of conversation. He blamed himself for the distress Esme was surely feeling. In allowing Edward's decision to rule, he had failed them all. "Esme will be in with your tea in just a moment, let me go ahead and move these ice packs off your leg and up to your ribs. The tea will keep you from getting too chilled, and they will help with the swelling."

Laying the blanket aside he plucked up each ice pack. He then tucked each ice pack around her ribs and recovered her with the blanket. By the time he was done, Esme was handing the tea cup over to Bella. He watched as she took a careful sip.

"Thank you Esme, it's perfect as always."

"You are very welcome Bella." Giving Esme's hand a gentle squeeze, they both retook their spots on the loveseat.

"Alright Bella, do you have any questions before we continue?"

"When will you actually do the surgeries," Bella asked nervously.

"Given how the hypothermia, frostbite, lack of proper food and sleep affected your overall health, I would like to see you achieve some decent rest in between meals today, and most of tonight. We will plan the surgery for before you awaken tomorrow morning. That will allow your body some time to recuperate before we stress it further."

"And that leads me into the remainder of your injuries. Other than the multitude of bruise, aches and pains I know you are suffering from, your right knee and ankle are the last of the concerning items. Once the swelling has gone down, I intend to apply a brace to each. Given how you were understandably forced to use both joints after Victoria's attack, the injuries are aggravated and you will require the braces for a significant time. To that end I have selected more of a walking boot for your ankle; I will ask that you wear that whenever you desire to be active."

"Thank you Carlisle, I would be like to be able to move around on my own should it be necessary."

Carlisle read into Bella response and understood her to mean should she be left to her own devices for her survival. Nodding his head in time with his response, "I thought you might feel that way. However, I would like to see you rest your right leg for at least several days before you try. And then only with my assistance to ensure you do not suffer further injury."

"I don't want ask either of you to do more than is necessary, I'm sure I will heal well enough without waiting several days."

Bella had been gentle with her insistence, but Carlisle was happy to take every opportunity to teach Bella that she was no burden to them, "Sweetheart, you will be recovering from two significant surgeries, and the lingering effects this past week has had on your body. Not only will you be in no condition to attempt walking, I find I must insist you allow Esme and me to care for you until I deem it safe. Even then Esme and I will enjoy continuing to assist you. I assure you, you are not putting us out."

Not giving her a chance to argue further, Carlisle moved the conversation forward, "Now, before we get you settled into bed with the stronger medication, we have one last topic to discuss. While Victoria remains a threat I will not take the risk of leaving you two while I hunt, nor do I wish for Esme to hunt alone. We will need to do so within the next week." Gentling his voice, he reopened the previous distressful topic, "I understand your fears Bella, but I need to ask some of the family to come home. I would like your input on whom I should contact."

He watched as understanding followed by shock crossed Bella's features, "You're asking me who you should call?"

"Yes, Bella. I promised you would be involved in making any decisions that affect you. This is decidedly one of them. With whom will you be more comfortable?"

Not quite ready to answer, Bella responded with another question, "You must have someone in mind already?"

"Honestly Sweetheart, any of our family members will help to ensure the outcome of any battle with Victoria. That said Jasper does have extensive experience in this area. However, if his presence is too upsetting for you…"

"Oh no Carlisle! Of course not! Please tell me Jasper knows I didn't blame him for that night?!" Her impassioned plea was the closest they had seen to the old Bella since that fateful night. While Carlisle knew from his conversation with her then that she considered only her innate clumsiness to be at fault, it was gratifying to see her opinion had not changed with time.

"Jasper knows Bella. He finds it difficult to believe, but he does know. May I take this to mean you are comfortable with the thought of Jasper's presence here?"

"Yes, but…" Bella wrung her hands before she continued, "that would mean Alice would come too, right?"

"Yes, do you not wish to see Alice?" Carlisle carefully asked.

The exhaustion Bella felt became obvious when she forgot her audience and mumbled, "I'm sure the feeling is mutual."

This time it was Esme who knelt in front of the couch, grasping Bella's hand in hers, "Oh no, Bella dear. Nothing could be farthest from the truth. Alice would love nothing more than to see you."

Tears began slipping down Bella's cheeks, further widening the cracks in both their hearts, "Please, stop Esme. I.. I know that's not true."

"Alright dear, I will let the subject rest for now. Would you prefer we call Emmett and Rosalie then?"

After making the suggestion, both Carlisle and Esme stayed quiet to give Bella a moment to think the decision through. Finally, she answered, "No. Somehow I think that will be worse. I'll just do my best to stay out of Alice's way."

"Alright dear, if you are sure?" Esme gave Bella's hand a supportive squeezing, and then waited for Bella's nod before standing up.

Bella wiped her eyes and then looked up at Carlisle, "May I ask if you will be calling anyone else?"

Carlisle wondered who she meant until it occurred to him that she must wish to not use Edward's name. Deciding it was best to follow her lead given her reaction to Alice, he worded his reply carefully, "Not at this time. I do not think you are ready to handle that reunion just yet."

When she nodded he took that to mean she agreed. "Alright Sweetheart, it has been a long day for you. Let us get you up to bed and resting soundly. Remember to hold your torso still and allow me to do the work." As he spoke he had stepped toward the couch and already had his arms slipping under her back and thighs. Esme had slipped the blanket off, so it was a simple matter to lift her up. Moments later he was beside the guest bed lowering Bella into the waiting sheets.

Slipping his arms out from under her, he ensured her knee and ankle were properly supported before tucking her in. He turned around to remove the pain medication from his medical bag which Esme had carried up.

"Carlisle, I'm sorry."

Not knowing to what Bella referenced, he asked, "What are you sorry for Sweetheart?"

"I didn't mean to seem ungrateful earlier. I really do appreciate everything you have both done for me already."

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he picked her hand up again, "Sweetheart, not once have Esme or I thought you ungrateful. It gladdens me that you are feeling comfortable enough to be honest with us."

Giving her a gentle kiss on the forehead, he stood up, "Are you ready to sleep?"

Bella looked up at him with suspiciously wet eyes, "Yes, I'm more than ready for the stronger medicine."

Moving at his normal speed, he was finished administering the medication before she even noticed the needle in his hand, "Sleep tight honey."

He and Esme stayed and watched over their daughter as she drifted off to sleep.


End file.
